Who is the man that fears the LORD?
Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth. (Psalm 25:12-13)
I want you to picture your
ministry as a relay race. You have an
assigned leg to run—we all have an allotted period of time. You have an assigned lane to run—we all have
an appointed place of service. We carry
in our hands a Bible baton. It has been
handed down to us and now the critical moment comes that determines victory or
defeat—the exchange—where we hand the truth of Scripture to the next generation
of leaders. All of us are going to leave
behind a legacy. I believe that was on
David’s mind as he writes Psalm 25. From
the context, it would seem to me that he writes from the perspective of a seasoned
soldier—a battle-scarred veteran—concerned about the future of his kingdom.
Let us leave a legacy of TRUST (v.1-7).
David’s testimony declares how his trust was rooted in
the greatness of God (v.1-3). We can trust
His power to save us. David knows where
to run when he is in trouble. Experience
has taught the king not to trust in his own strength, but in God’s. I can say that God has never failed me.
David also trusted in the guidance of God
(v.4-5). We can trust in His precepts to
steer us. This does not exempt us from
storms. The good news is that if we yield the rudder to the hands of the Captain
of our Salvation, we can set sail to new horizons and chart a course for those
who come behind!
Furthermore, David trusted
in the goodness of God (v.6-7). We can trust His provision to secure us. David wasn’t a perfect man. His failures are documented. That’s why we need forgiveness. We don’t trust in our goodness, but in God’s. Remarkably, He uses flawed people for His
glory.
Let us leave a legacy of TRUTH (v.8-15). Having
learned these lessons—sometimes the hard way—we must pass on the baton of
truth.
Having a teachable spirit is the key issue here
(v.8-12). An attitude of humility,
devotion, and reverence are essential. No
matter how much we know about ministry, we should never stop learning!
Our success becomes part of the legacy we leave to our
spiritual sons in ministry (v.13). The
blessings of God can be transferred to generations to come. Success can’t be measured in the size of
buildings, budgets, and backsides in pews—it is in eternal impact.
Friends have no secrets from each other (v.14-15). They share their heart. There is a depth of intimacy with God
suggested here that we can know. I have
been inspired by others who have walked closely with God, and now I want to
share the secret of such a life with others.
Let us leave a legacy of TRIUMPH
(v.16-22). Don’t miss the sequence. We face the reality of the crisis, but we
focus on the God who gives us confidence!
If we only give a brief nod to God, then focus on the crisis, we will be
defeated by unbelief. This is not denying
reality (v.16-19); not depending on some kind of positive thinking. Problems are not permitted to be the focus,
however (v.20-22). The focus is on the
Redeemer. He is the God who is always
victorious and our triumph is in Him.
That was the legacy of
leadership David would leave. What about
us?
